Orion Chapter 1 & 2

  

The ORION

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The Antiquity of the Vedas

Chapters I and II

Introduction

Sacrifices alias the year

The author introduces the subject and highlights the need to ascertain the age of the Vedas. European oriental scholars, in their treatises on the subject, have used their methods and their interpretation of texts to determine the age/ antiquity of the Vedas.

Tilak highlights the defects in adopting the Literary/ Linguist methods used by Max Muller, Dr Haug and Professor Wilson. These scholars have divided the Vedic literature into 4 periods, namely Chhandas, Mantra, Brahmana and Sutras. These scholars assign a duration of 100/200/500/1000 years to each period, thus arriving at an estimated antiquity ranging from 1200 to 2400 BCE. Other European orientalists have placed the age around 2000 BCE based on their interpretation of Aitreya Brahman, Vedang Jyotish, Vedic and other Puranic texts.

 Mr Dhruva, who also submitted a similar essay to the 9th  oriental congress, in 1892, mentions the Vedic periods should be placed according to the Geological strata/periods.

Tilak explains the confusion caused by the absence of any definite statement on any astronomical event. However, there are some stray references to astronomical facts in Vedic literature, regarding the character of a year and time cycle. Some later astronomical works, explain the concept of the Year and different dates of commencement of the Year in India. Such confusion forced Oriental scholars to consider astronomical methods inaccurate. Prof Weber, in particular, considers that any research on the age by the astronomical method will not be possible.

However, Mr Tilak assures that ample evidence is available, both direct and indirect, in the earliest Samhita's and that age can be determined with reference to Indian literature on geographical and historical grounds along with astronomical references in them. Several Indian astronomers like KS Godbole, KL Chatre, and SB Dixit, and a few others have succeeded correctly in interpreting the texts. It appears that European scholars did not refer to any texts available in vernacular languages.

He lays the importance of gathering maximum information on stray references in Vedic works, traditions and practices recorded in the old sacrificial literature available in India. He presumes that there must have been a calendar of sorts to regulate and perform sacrifices at appropriate periodic intervals. In doing so the rishis/priests performed the dual role of sacrificers and timekeepers. The sacrifices must be performed on a particular day of the year. (In Rome the care of the calendar was considered a religious function, and it had been from earliest times placed in the hands of pontiffs).

The yearly sacrifices are the very beginning of the primitive calendar. He gives out that some methods were adopted in old Vedic days to know, what is Savan/civil day, Lunar months and solar year, and a method to intercalate days and months. They could adjust the lunar with the solar year. However, Prof Weber and Dr Schrader were not convinced that the primitive Vedic people/ Aryan civilisation could perform such calculations.

He lays importance on the main point, regarding the commencement of the year. He considers the correlation with yearly sacrifices, seasons, Solstices and Equinoxes. He further explains the significance of Uttarayan, Dakshinayan, Devayana and Pitriyana. He shows how incorrect interpretation of Sanskrit words in Puranic texts leads to incorrect conclusions. He states that when people come across new ideas they try to name them in old words.

He explains as to what should be the correct definition of the day of Devas and how Bhaskaracharya misinterpreted it. He discusses the onset of different seasons with respect to the celestial events, like Solstices and Equinoxes and how they are related to the year. He argues on the point of commencement of the year considered by Vedic people. The two-year beginnings were utilised for different purposes.

 Tilak reasons why there are different year beginnings in other parts of India. Even at present-day places on the Southern side of River Narmada begin their year with Vernal Equinox for civil purposes, but all religious ceremonies are performed in Uttarayana, starting with Winter Solstice.

He concludes that the ancient Aryas commenced their year, which was lunisolar and sidereal, with Vernal Equinox, which later changed to Winter solstice. Both dates were kept one for civil and the other for sacrificial purposes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pitru paksha

 *Tradition of Pitru Paksha/Shradh* 

As per the Hindu calendar, Pitru paksha or Shradh fortnight is observed during Krishna paksha of the lunar month of Bhadrapad (immediately after Ganesh Utsav) for those following Amanta system.

For those following Purnimanta system (For North, East India and Nepal) it will be the lunar month of Ashwini, Shukla paksha.

Pitru Paksha 2023 will start on September 29, 2023, and end on October 14, 2023. 

It begins on the Pratipada (first day of the fortnight) and ends with the no-moon day known as सर्वापित्री अमावस्या, Pitri Amavasya, Peddala Amavasya, Mahalaya Amavasya.

Rituals associated with Pitru paksha/Shradh, are mentioned in Rgved and are observed to this day, with changes and modifications. 

But why this month and date is selected and not any other?

As I had said most of our Hindu festivals/ rituals are based on celestial events, indicating a change of season/Ritu/elapsed time and actions to be taken by all in view of the celestial event and what to expect further.

 This was a method of timekeeping, by performing periodic rituals, in consonance with the celestial event.

In Hindu tradition, the north celestial sphere is consecrated to the gods (deva) and the south celestial sphere is consecrated to the ancestors /pitṛ. However, Devayāna देवयान and पितृयाण are not in active calendric use any longer but do form the basis for Pitṛpakṣa.

With this as the backdrop, during Vedic times(referred to in Rgved) the Summer solstice commenced on Bhadrapad full moon, so that the dark half of the lunar month of Bhadrapad was the first fortnight in पितृयाण, therefore, naturally became the first fortnight in the ayana of manes, or the dawn of pitrupaksha (The year was counted from W solstice to W solstice, solstitial year)

Therefore, the ritual of paying obeisance to the ancestors/Pitr, as the Sun is in pitralok. This also marked the end of varsha ritu and the beginning of sharad ritu.

Incidentally, the Parsis celebrate their feast to manes around the same time. Their year starts from the month of Fravashinam.

Based on the Buddhist and Tao traditions of China, the ghost festival or Yulan festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the 7th month of the calendar between August and September.

 Brief Summary of the Book

The Orion

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The Antiquity of Vedas

Tilak states that the high antiquity of the Egyptian civilization is an accepted fact. However, the scholars hesitated to accept the antiquity of Vedic Civilization earlier than 2400 BCE. He has tried, to show and explain in this book, that the traditions recorded in the Rgved point to a period around 4000 BCE, when the vernal equinox was in Orion (The Dog Star), or when the Dog-star commenced the equinoctial year.

He reasons how legends corroborated in later Sanskrit works are corroborated by the legends of Iran and Greece. He has placed all this evidence, in the form of explanations and interpretations of various texts, quoted by him. He has used the astronomical method for his interpretation of the Sanskrit texts. He has not touched upon the antiquity of the epic texts the Ramayan and Mahabharat, as he found that some accounts in the Puranas are conflicting.

He discusses how time was documented by ancient Aryans in performing various rituals. In doing so the Aryans must have had some sort of method to calculate time. Vedic literature and legends across the Indian continent were also important sources, which he has considered. He shows how all legends, originating from the same astronomical configuration as recorded in Vedic and later Puranic texts existed in Greeks, Parsis, Germans, Egyptians and others in a similar form.

Tilak states that the opinions of the scholars were formed based on the traditions current during their times. This was evident from their treatises and hence the notions of Christian scholars do not place antiquity beyond 4000 BCE. However, some Indian theologists and scholars believe Vedas to have come down from unknown antiquity.

He admits that the astronomical method of determining antiquity is a bit vague because it cannot determine the exact dates of all Vedic hymns or works. However, it is definitely logical and more accurate than the linguist methods. He also states and corrects the misconception that Hindu astronomers could not have borrowed it from Greeks/ Egyptians. The extraordinary history of Indian science is similarly ignored or, as some would argue, deliberately downplayed. The Vedic priests/ Aryas seem to have mastered the art of timekeeping all for their yearly rituals.

He has, therefore confined his work to the interpretation of Vedic texts and related Puranic accounts and astronomical references therein to corroborate his findings, in deciding the antiquity of the Vedas and corresponding evolution of the Aryanic race. He claims that there is no reasonable objection to placing the Vedic literature further back by 1000 years or so around 4000 BCE.

 

 The ORION

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The Antiquity of the Vedas

Preface to Summary and Book Review

This book was written by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and published in 1893, is a work of extensive research carried out by him, in giving out his explanation of the antiquity of the Vedas. He was inspired by Lord Krishna’s statement, while reading Bhagwat Gita, which led him to inquire into the ancient Vedic calendar.

He clarifies that this research paper was originally written for the Ninth Oriental Congress held in London in 1892. However the document was too lengthy to be presented and, hence only a summary was inserted in the proceedings. This research paper he later published as a book in 1893.

In the course of his four year research, prior to the publication of this book, he studied and referred the works of numerous scholars, Vedic scriptures, texts, their essays. Tilak in his quest to recognize the Indian Antiquity puts forth his research work way back in 1893 and analysing the very same research scholars who made contributions to the origin of Indian civilization as per their perception and interpretation.

The whole civilizational debate started when west wanted to legitimize their existence. Their perception hovers around Aryan Invasion theory around 2000/1500 BCE and they reconstructed and misinterpreted the archeological evidences and texts. . One must understand that the knowledge flowed down the generations verbally. The written concepts came much later but by then the damage to Indian knowledge was done.

Thus, we are still taught about the Aryan Invasion in 1500BC despite the fact that genetic and archaeological studies find no evidence for any large-scale migration from Central Asia. The date of 1500BC was always arbitrary and we have good reason to believe that climate change caused the decline of Harappan cities five centuries earlier.

The interesting part is that around 65-70 % of these scholars were foreign/Non-Indians. These scholars had studied Indology, Sanskrit, and Indian Literature. (Interestingly they studied these subjects in German, British and other universities). Their views, translation and interpretation of Vedic texts, are, with a backdrop of Western outlook. All these works were available in the late 18^th and beginning of 19^th century. Needless to say, that, their work was considered more authentic as compared to native scholars.

Some of these scholars and their works, Which Mr Tilak, referred to are

1.      Albrocht Weber- “History of Indian Literature”, “Hindu and Chinese systems of Asterisms”

2.      Prof William Dwight Whitney- “Translation and Notes to Surya Sidhanta and Atharv Ved”

3.      Dr Otto Schrader- “Pre historic Antiquities of Aryans People”1890

4.      Kaegi’s Rgved as translated by Aerosmith.

5.      George Cornewall Lewis-“Historical Survey of Astronomy of Ancients”, 1860

6.      Narrien John-“History of origin and progress of Astronomy”, 1833

7.      Henry Thomas Colebrooke- “Essays on Vedas” and translation of other texts. 1805.

8.      Max Muller’s various works. (Do read his details in Wikipedia and anti-Indian stance.

9.      Jean Baptiste François Joseph de Warren-Kalasankalita,1835

10.  Krishna Shastri Godbole, Bhaskaracharya, CR Das, Dr RG Bhandarkar, Dr Dastur Hoshang Jamsap and a few other Indian Scholars.

11.  Bentley-“ Historical view of Hindu Astronomy”

 

 

Tilak does make a case for us to understand the Indian/Aryan Antiquity and correct the misconception of our rich heritage. This treatise shows how Indian culture was incorrectly interpreted by European scholars using our own ancient texts. Mr Tilak uses most of the same references to give his version of interpretation. He gives out his analysis and the logical conclusion.

 

My aim is to generate interest in this subject and motivate you all to read the original text.

 

He has put forward his theory for consideration and further research.

Do read the information on Vedas given in Wikipedia. One can make out the ambiguity and various opinions

Next articles will cover chapter wise summary of the book.